Joseph w



Pateted-Deo. 20, 1887.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. W. KENNA.

TIL-'FING CHAIR. Nor 3741971- Patented Dee. 20, 1887.

l4 @D Jv j( d I] f/ N4 PETERS. Hmamholmpmn washington. D; C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo JOSEPH IV. KENNA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO JAMES IV. VAIL, TRUSTEE, OF PORT WASHINGTON, VVISOONSIN.

TILTING-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,971, dated December20, 1867.

Application filed May 24, i886. Serial No. 203,087. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH IV. KENNA, a citizen of the United States,residing` at Chicago, county'of Cook, State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in TiltingOhairs, of which I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecitlcation.

1o My invention relates to tilting-chairs of that class wherein thechairseat is separate from the tripod-like base, being mounted upon thearms of the spider-frame pivotally joined to an upright standard orsupport. The lower I5 portion of the standard `constitutes a spindle,which is ordinarily screwthreaded, to engage with eountenthreads in theperforated basenut, said nut having the legs of the chair se curedthereto. The ehairseat, spiderframe,

2o and spindle turn together about the tripodbase, and are adjustable asto height, usually by the screw action of the spindle with the base-nut.A coil-spring secu red between the standard and the spider-framecontrols the tilting movement of the chair-seat and frame about thestandard-pivot, and by adjustment in tension enables the chair to beadapted to the comfort of the occupant.

Theinvention is designed to produce a cheap,

3o simple, and eiiieient chair of the kind mentioned; and to that end itconsists in certain im provements in the structure and organizationofthe parts located between the chair seat and base, such parts, incombination, being known to the trade as the irons The nature of saidimprovements will fully appear from the following description, and bedistinctly pointed out in the claims at the couelusion thereof.

4o Figure l is a view in side elevation; Fig. 2, a view in longitudinalvertical section, and Fig. 3 a view in longitudinal horizontal section.Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of one form of my inventionemploying double springs. Figs. 5, G, 7, and S are views similar toFigs. l, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, showing the organization of theparts when a single spring is employed.

The base-nut A is of the usual construction,

5o being provided with the recesses or seats to receive the ends of thelegs of the chair, which extend thence, as well understood, intripodlike fashion to furnish the basesupports. The threaded spindle Bscrews into the nut A in Vthe usual manner, and carries at its upper endf is secured thereto.

Cast in one piece with the spider-frame and the ears d dependingtherefrom is an expanded head or plate, f, located between the ears andfurnished with screw-likelngs g, which afford bearings or seats for theends of the coil` springs l). The standard O extends upward in directionvsubstantially parallel to the expanded face f of the spider-frame, andeon- 7o tacts therewith, nearits upper end, when the chairseat is inhorizontal position, to limitthe movement thereof about-the pivot c.Vhen the chair is tilted backward, the rib fr on the spider-frame glidesinto the seat s ou the standard C, and thus checks the movement of thechair about the pivot c at the same time that the frame and scat areheld from sidewise play. The retention-rod G carries thereon ascrew-likebearingplate, y', against which the 8O end of the coiledsprings D may abut, said springs being thus securely seated between thebearings g g', located upon the spider-frame, and the retention rod,respectively. The spidereframe and the standard are perforated or 8 5otherwise cnt away, to permit the free passage of the retention-rod G,which, atits end oppo-` site to the bearing-plate g', is screw-threadedto receive the handwheel H or like adjusting device. The pivot-plate h,slidingfreely upon 9o said rod and bearing against seats upon thestandard C, serves to sustain said rod in position against the tensionof the spring D and to permit the radial shift of the rod withoutdisarrangement of the parts or undue strain during the tilting movementof the spiderframe about the pivot c.

The adjusting-wheel H turns freely at its end within a socket ofthepivot-plate h, so that with such plate as a bearing the wheel H may 10obe rotated, and the rod G be in consequence drawn back or forth to varythe tension of the springs D. If desired, the position ol" thehand-wheel H upon the rod G may be reversed-that is, said Wheel may restagainst the bearing-plate g', instead of against the pivot-plate h, asshown, in which event the rod G would be also reversed end for end, soas to receive the wheel in the new relation and retain the pivotplate h.

In order that the spindle B and its standard may not be jammed tightdown against the base-nnt A, which sometimes wrenches the standard fromt-he spindle, there is provided a lug, 7c, projecting from the standard,and as the downward rotation of the spindle proceeds engaging with theshoulder or terminal of a vanishing recess or seat (shown at l, dottedlines, Fig. 8) in the top plate, K, of the basenut. The stop k arreststhe rotation of the spindle B before the standard can jam against thebase-nut A, and in consequence saves such parts from strain and dangerof breakage. Manifestly the like result would be attained by making alug on the eapplate K of the basenut of suflicient height to Contactwith some projecting portion of the standard.

By pivoting the spiderframe to the standard C at the point c, near tothe base, a firm, strong joint is secured at the same time that theleverage of the chair-seat in tilting is greatest. In consequence themovement against the tension ofthe spring D is even and.

comfortable, the retention rod G shifting about, together with itsradial pivot-plate 7L, so as to avoid undue strain at the same time thata substantially direct thrust upon the coilsprings D is maintainedduring the tilting movement. The spider-frame may be pivoted to thestandard at some other point above the pivot c, although such positionis deemed the most desirable in practice.

rl`he general combination, in a tilting-chair iron, with the standardthereof, the spider pivoted thereto, a coil-spring, and an adjusting-rodand hand-wheel, of a pivoted plate bearing against the standard andsustaining the adjusting-rod, is not claimed herein, the same being thesubject of a separate application led by me September 22, 1884, SerialNo. 143,638.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination,with the upright standard, of the spider-framemounted thereon and tilting about the same, and provided with adependent face-plate to rest against the standard, the retention-rodpivotally sustained at one end upon said standard, extending freelythrough said standard and faee-plate,and carrying at its opposite end anexpanded bearing-plate,a compression-spring seated between and againstsaid bearing and face plates, respectively, and a hand-wheel threaded tothe retention-rod to vary the tension ot' said spring, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the upright standard, of the spider-framemounted thereon and tilting about the same, and provided with adependent face-plate to rest against the standard,the retention-rodextending freely through said standard and face-plate, and carrying nearone end a stayplate set pivotally against said standard, and at itsopposite end an expanded bearing-plate, a compression-spring seatedbetween and against said bearing and face plates, respectively, and ahand-wheel threaded to the retention-rod and resting against thestayplate thereof, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the revolving chair-spindle, and with thebase-socket to receive and support the same, of the stop or lnginterposed between said spindle and socket to arrest the rotation ofthespindle, substantially as described.

JOSEPH EV. KENNA.

Witnesses:

JAMEs H. Pinnen.

CARTER HENRY HARRIsoN, J r.

